With so many hotel options within walking distance to Disneyland, it can be overwhelming to find the best one for your family. This Courtyard Anaheim theme park entrance review will help decide if this Disneyland good neighbor hotel is a good choice for your trip.
Visiting the “happiest place on Earth” takes some planning, and one of the most important things is where to stay during your Disneyland vacation.
We’ve stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance twice now, once when our kids were still school age, and again more recently with our 16 and 14 year olds. Both stays were great, but I want to share how the experience changed now that our family has teens.
The bunk beds that felt spacious for younger kids were noticeably tighter for our teens this time around. They’re still workable, but if you have older kids you’ll want to go in knowing the room feels smaller than it did when everyone was younger.
We also used the water park a lot less on this visit. We did the slides and had fun, but with teens in the group it wasn’t the daily draw it used to be. For the price, families with older kids may want to weigh whether a hotel with fewer amenities (and a lower price tag) makes more sense, or consider booking two connecting rooms instead of relying on the bunk beds.
What hasn’t changed is the location. The walk to the parks is still just 7 minutes, which is hard to beat, and the firework views from our room were incredible both times. We could see Space Mountain and the Matterhorn right outside.
New to Disneyland as a Disney World family? Read our Disneyland Guide for Disney World Regulars for everything different about Lightning Lane, where to stay, and what to prioritize.
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Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance Review & Recap
I was really excited to stay at the Courtyard Marriott again. On our last visit it fit our family perfect and I loved how close it is to the parks. It was easy to take a mid-day break and walk between the hotel and the parks.
It is important to know there are two Courtyard Marriott hotels in Anaheim. One is the Convention Center and one is the theme park entrance.
If you want a hotel within walking distance to the park you want to go with the theme park entrance location. That is where we stayed during our Southern California theme park trip and it was a great location for our trip.
The have an on-site water park, large rooms, and theme park views. The hotel is located half a mile from the Disneyland park main entrance on South Harbor Blvd. It took us about 10-15 minutes to walk from our room to the security entrance of the Disneyland resort.
Courtyard Marriot Anaheim Theme Park Entrance Guest Rooms
What I loved about the rooms at the Courtyard Marriot Theme Park Entrance is there was plenty of room for my family of five. The standard rooms have 2 queen beds and a twin bunk bed. It can fit up to 6 guests.
We stayed in the standard guests room with a water park view. The room was spacious and even had a sitting area with a table. I love having a space to sit that is not the bed, especially for late night pizza or snacks.
We could see the nightly fireworks from Disneyland as well as the top of Space Mountain from our room.
The Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance is one of the few Disneyland hotel rooms with bunk beds. This is a huge perk when traveling with a large family. I wish more hotels and resorts would do this to affordably accommodate families more than 4.
As a family of five having bunk beds means we all have a comfortable place to sleep at the end of the night. There room also has a small sitting area with table that allowed the five of us to spread out a bit when hanging out in the room.
The room came with free wi-fi, a coffee/tea maker, mini fridge, hair dryer, and microwave. On our first visit we had smaller kids, now we are traveling with teens and the bunk beds felt a bit tight.
They are twin size and teens that are the size of adults may be be comfortable sleeping in them. It was fine for our trip but on our next visit I will most likely book connecting rooms instead of the bunk bed rooms.
Ready to check rates? Check current rates at Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance ā
Average Nightly Rate
When I checked room rates for the next 6 months many dates were sold out. I highly suggest booking this hotel as soon as you know you want to stay there. Double check the cancelation policy if you need to change your plans but once you have your dates-book it. Expect starting rates around $350.00 a night.
Comparing other hotels near Disneyland? Search current rates across all nearby options below:
Amenities
There is an on-site fitness center, the Bistro dining option, a gift shop, and an on-site water park. Parking is $46.80 a day and is valet only. Expect to pay for parking at any hotel around this area.
Bistro’s offers breakfast, lunch and dinner options as well as Starbucks coffee. On our way home from the parks we stopped at the Bistro and ordered pizza to take back to the room. I really appreciated the convenience of having food options on site.
The on-site Market offers grab and go snacks and beverages too. Mimi’s Cafe is next door to the hotel in the hotel parking lot. It is not affiliated with the hotel but has breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.
We got breakfast on our check-out day as we headed to the Los Angeles itinerary part of our trip and it was so good! The breakfast is worth the splurge. There are also numerous fast food options along Harbor Blvd if you want to avoid eating at the parks.
Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance Water Park
Surfside Waterpark at the Courtyard Anaheim is one of the biggest perks of staying at the hotel. The pool area has a hot tub, an outdoor swimming pool, water slides, and a splash pad with a drench bucket.
The actual pool is not a very large pool but the water playground makes up for it. There are water slides and a splash area. The water slides are great for all ages but the rest of the park is best suited for 10 and under.
I was a bit concerned about the noise of the water park view rooms waterpark but the windows blocked it out very well. Overall it is a great addition to enjoy on your day off from the theme parks.
Around the Hotel
These are the FAQ’s I typically get about the hotel. It is not a large resort like you will find at Walt Disney World.
Do I need to stay on-site at Disneyland? Staying on-site during your Disneyland vacation is not as important or beneficial as it is at Walt Disney World.There are three Disneyland resort hotels. They are Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Pixar Place Hotel. All are within walking distance to the Disneyland theme parks. Some off-site hotels are closer to the main gate.
Is there free shuttle service from the Courtyard to Disneyland? No. There is not a free shuttle service or any shuttle to take you to and from the parks. The hotel is so close that it is not necessary.
Is there complimentary breakfast at the Courtyard? There is not free breakfast at the Courtyard. This is a bit of a bummer if you expect that from the Courtyard brand but it is typical of the hotels across from Disneyland. We stocked up on goods from the local grocery store and it didn’t end up being a big factor in our stay.
Is there a game room at the Courtyard Marriott? No. There is not a game room.
Can you purchase Disneyland tickets at the Courtyard Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance? The hotel is a good neighbor hotel and can be booked as a bundle with tickets on the Disneyland website. I always compare prices from the Disneyland website and my affiliate partner Undercover Tourist. Check Disneyland ticket prices.
Is the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance Worth it
Yes I would stay here again with school age kids. I thought the hotel was a great location and offered a lot of space for my family. The only down-side to the hotel is that it is a bit pricier than the surrounding hotels and if you are not going to use the water park you may not want to pay the extra cost.
Honest take: For us the water park and bunk beds made the extra cost worth it when we visited with kids under 10. With our teens, not as much and I would book where I find the best deal.
Compare a few different hotels to see what works best for your travel needs. Use the map to explore different hotels and prices quickly:
We have also stayed at the Fairfield Inn during a visit in 2019. It was a basic hotel that we were happy with at the time. It would not fit our family of 5 now that the kids are teens, but it is a good option if you are looking for something less pricey. I would consider it for connecting rooms as well.
Final Thoughts
Overall the Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park entrance is a great option for families visiting the Disneyland resort. The rooms offer a perfect spot to rest your head after a long day at the Disney parks.
It is so nice to have resort like amenities with the water park, so close to the Disneyland entrance. The space for larger families is a huge perk and I would recommend this for families of 5 or more looking for the best accommodations without breaking their budget.
Want the full Disneyland Resort picture? Our Disneyland Guide for Disney World Families covers both parks, Lightning Lane strategy, where to stay, and the best things to do ā everything you need before you plan your day.
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Leah has been traveling with her family of 5 since 2012 and sharing her expertise on planning family vacations and visiting theme parks since 2016. Leah has been featured in Visit Rochester, Undercover Tourist, and Home Publications. She has worked with brands like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Hersheypark, Toyota, and various Tourism boards and destinations. Leah creates family travel itineraries based on real trip experiences with her family. Her guides and tips help others plan great family vacations. Learn more about Leah and Five for the Road.